Quincy officials push back opening of new middle school

The new Central Middle School on Hancock Street won’t open on the first day of school, as originally planned.

By Patrick Ronan

The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA

By Patrick Ronan

Posted Aug. 12, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Aug 12, 2013 at 12:21 PM

By Patrick Ronan

Posted Aug. 12, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Aug 12, 2013 at 12:21 PM

QUINCY

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The new Central Middle School on Hancock Street won’t open on the first day of school, as originally planned.

Quincy School Superintendent Richard DeCristofaro announced Monday that Central middle school students will start the academic year on Sept. 4 in the existing Central Middle School building at 1012 Hancock St. The city’s plan was to open the new $50 million facility, located a few blocks north at the corner of St. Ann’s Road and Hancock Street, in time for the start of the school year.

DeCristofaro said although construction of the new school will be substantially completed by the first day of school, he wants to give staff members more time to get acclimated to the building before opening it to students.

“We’d prefer to have the building completely student-ready,” DeCristofaro said.

DeCristofaro said he didn’t know when the new school would open to students, other than to say he hopes it’s “sooner rather than later.” He said the existing school, which was built in 1894, was "undisturbed this summer" with all classroom and office furniture and technology still in place.

Christopher Walker, spokesman for Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch, said the new school will open sometime this fall, but he wouldn’t give a specific date. He said there will be “no great disruption” when the city transitions to the new building because no equipment or items, except for the staff and students’ personal belongings, need to be moved.

Walker said H.V. Collins, the project's general contractor, agreed in its contract with the city to finish substantial construction by Sept. 5. Walker said as a result of that deadline, the city had hoped to open the school year in the new building.

“There was always an acknowledgement that this was an aggressive, aggressive timeline,” Walker said.

The new three-story school will hold approximately 600 students in grades 6-8. Walker said the total cost of construction is approximately $32 million, and about $18 million was needed for land acquisition and other pre-construction costs.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority, as part of its model-school program, will reimburse the city with up to 80 percent of $41 million of the costs; the cost of the property and other costs are exempt from state reimbursement.